Nueva semana

This morning, four more students piled in to our preparatory class for el DELE intermedio, bringing our total to 8 (the maximum number in any Don Quijote class). Since I have been spoiled in the past months by being in classes where the typical number of students rarely exceeded 5, it feels distinctly crowded. Oddly, though there are only 3 students in the conversation class that I take immediately following the four hours of DELE preparation, this class too leaves something to be desired, as the other two students are at a considerably lower level.

As a result, I feel oddly disgruntled, while recognizing how unreasonable this response is. To keep things in perspective, I should note that I still feel like I am learning a hell of a lot. In particular, I am happy to note that my almost complete inability to speak Spanish (or any language, really) a week ago today, when I arrived back in Madrid, has been completely cured, and that I am yapping away at full speed again.

But I simply cannot manage to watch two hours of Spanish TV daily, as has been recommended by our teachers. The risk of permanent brain damage is simply too great to be ignored.

On the (very) positive side, Salamanca is proving to be a charming, highly accessible, fun city. The fact that my age is at least twice that of the average student is something I simply choose not to obsess about.

Well, maybe just a little.